Vine-cutter



C. T- McCREADY.

VINE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED on. 28. ms. RENEWED SEPT. I0. 1919.

1,319,780. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE comma PLANounAim cOLWASHINuTbN, e.

C. T. McCREADY.

VINE CUTTER.

APPLICATION m o OCT. 28, ms. RENEWED SEPT. 10. 1919.

1,319,780. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

at an adjusted position.

CHARLES T. McoRnAnY, or ssa VIRGINIA.

VINE-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 28, 1919. I

Applicationfiled October 28, 1918, Serial No. 259,951. Renewed September 10, 1919. Serial No. 323,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES T. Mo- CREADY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Onley, in the county of Accomac and State of Virginia, have invented certain "new and useful Improvements in Vine-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto'improvements in vine cutters and it consists in the novel features hereinafter shown and described.

The present invention includes improvements I over the structure shown in my earlier patent for vine cutter issued January 8, 1918, Number 1,252,914.

An object of the invention is to provide in a vine cutter a cutting blade of novel form with novel means for supporting and carrying the same whereby the structure will not accumulate and carry soil or dirt.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for attaching the blade carrying means to asupporting arm, whereby the said blade carrying means may be readily adjusted to dispose the surface of the soil and which may be securely held at an adjusted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a head block of novel form and structure for supporting the arm and which will permit of the adjustment of the arm to incline the blade and blade carrying means downwardly and forwardly at a desired an gle and means for securely holding the arm A still further object of the invention is to provide link bars of novel arrangement for sliding the'head blocks upon supporting bars whereby the rear ends of the link bars are resiliently held away 'from each other so that the parts will not bind as th head blocks are adjusted.

With these and other objects in viewthe invention consists in the novel features hereinafter shown and described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims:

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is a side elevation of the vine cutter.

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view of one of the head blocks.

Fig. l, is a transverse sectlonal view of the same cut on the line H of Flg. 3.

Fig. 5, isa plan view of one of the blades and its supporting means.

Fig. 6, is a transverse sectional view of the blade cut on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a similar view out on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8, is a fragmentary plan view of the forward portions of the-link bars and adjacent parts.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings the vine cutter comprises a beam 1, of usual form. A runner 2, is attached to the beam and serves as a support for the same. Handles 3, are mounted upon the beam. A cross bar 4, is mounted upon the'rear portion of the beam 1.- Forwardly converging slide bars 5, are attached at their rear ends to the end portions of thebar 4, and at their forward ends to the opposite sides of the beam at a point between the ends thereof.

Head blocks 6, are slidably mounted upon the bars 5,"and are provided with set screws 7, which may be tightened whereby the said head blocks are securely held at adjusted positions upon the slide bars. The blocks 6, are further provided with upstanding lugs 8. A dentate segment 9, is mounted upon the beam 1, and a lever 10, is pivoted at the side of the segment. The lever carriesv a usual pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the segment'whereby the lever is temporarily held at a fixed position with relation to the segment. I

.Linlc-bars 11, are pivotally connected at their forward ends with the lever 10 and are pivotally connected attheir rear ends 14',*"=passes loosely through the extremities 12, and the lug 13, and carries at one end a nut 15 which bears against the side of one of the extremities. A coil spring 16, is interposed between the head of the said bolt and the side of the other extremity and is under tension with a tendency to hold the extremities against the opposite sides of the lug 13. Therefore the rear ends of the link bars 11, are resiliently held away from each other and hence as the lever 10, is swung the link bars will move the head blocks along the slide bars without binding.

The blocks 6, are provided with lower enlarged portions 17, and the said portions are provided with longitudinally disposed openings 18. The openings 18, are circular at their rear ends and elliptical at their forward ends with the longer diameters of the ellipses vertically disposed.

Curved arms 19, have their upper end portions passing through the openings 18, and carry washer plates 20 which close the forward ends of the openings. Nuts 21, are screwed upon the forward ends of the arms 19 and bear against the washer plates. Set screws 22, pass through the sides of the portions 17 of the head blocks and bear at their inner ends against the sides of the arms 19 in the vicinity of the smaller ends of the openings 18. Other set screws 23, pass through the upper and lower sides of the portions 17, and bear against the opposite sides of the arms 19, at points between the ends of the openings.

Therefore it will be seen that by loosening the nuts 21, and by manipulating the set screws 23, the upper portions of the arms 19, may be swung in the openings 18, and against the set screws 22, as pivots, so that the lower rear portions of the arms 19, may be inclined at desired angles with relation to the surface of the soil. hen the parts are properly adjusted they may be secured by tightening the nuts 21.

The lower ends of the arms 19, are received in sockets 25, of members 24, and the said members, at one side of the sockets, are split and provided with lugs 26, located at the opposite sides of the splits. Bolts 27, pass transversely through the lugs 26, and serve to draw the said lugs toward each other whereby the arms are securely grasped within the sockets 25. The forward ends of the members M, are pointed as at 28 and the members at parts adjacent the points 28, are downwardly curved at as 29. Blades 30 are attached at their forward ends to the "under sides of the points 28, and at points between their ends to oheof the lugs 26. A bracing strip 31, extends along the lower under portion of each blade.

The curves 29 in the members 24, hold the intermediate portions of the said members away from the adjacent edges of the blades so that ample opening is provided between the members and blades to permit the soil and dirt to pass through without accumulating on these parts when the vine cutter is in use or operation. The members 24, are forwardly and downwardly inclined so that the points 28, may readily pass under the vines, and the blades are downwardly and inwardly inclined so that the vines will pass or ride up along their upper edges and are severed or out in a usual manner. The opposite longitudinal edges of the blades converge forwardly toward each other so that the rear portions of the blades are broader than their forward portions and consequently a decidedly shearing cutting action is imparted from the blades to the vines.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a-vine cutter a blade, a member having a pointed end portion and a lug, said blade being attached to the lug and pointed portion of the member, said member at a point between the lug and pointed portion being curved whereby space is provided between the intermediate portion of the member and the adjacent edge of the blade.

2. In a vine cutter slide bars, head blocks movably mounted on the slide bars and having openings which are circular at one end and elliptical at their other ends, arms passing through the openings, blades carried by the arms and means for securing the arms at fixed positions in the openings.

8. In a vine cutter slide bars, head blocks movably mounted on the slide bars, arms attached to the blocks, blades carried by the arms, a' lever pivoted on the vine cutter and having a lug, link bars pivoted to the blocks and having angularly disposed extremities located at the opposite sides of the lug, a bolt passing through the extremities and lug and a spring carried by the bolt and interposed between the head of the bolt and one of the extremities.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES T. MGCREADY.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

